Jun 11, 2012

$20 Makeup Challenge - Mini-Reviews Included!

Over the past month the $20 makeup challenge has been floating around YouTube. When I first saw a video for the challenge I knew I wanted to participate. I must say, unless most of the products you're using are by E.L.F., it's going to be tricky. In the whole process I've already found some unexpected potential favorites and some items I'd really rather not use again.

Of course, every makeup line has a dud and everybody has different experiences with some products. So, shall we move on to the products I used?


$1 - E.L.F. Shielding Hydro Tint/Tinted Moisturizer S.P.F. 15 (Ivory) - this little tinted moisturizer offers almost no coverage and has this strange orangey scent to it. However, it does feel nice on my skin and I haven't noticed any adverse effects yet, so I will most likely buy this again sometime. It comes in a tiny tube and it would probably last a month if you used it every day, but I've only used it about four times, so I really can't give an accurate guess for that quite yet. Ivory is perfect for my super pale skin and although I do get quite oily throughout the day with other face products, my skin stayed matte and natural looking for most of the day!

$1 - E.L.F. All Over Cover Stick (Apricot Beige) - this is creamy and has medium coverage. It doesn't cake and crease under my eyes and the pimple I covered with it did not get worse after using this. It also has the strange orangey scent that the tinted moisturizer has, but it's not a big deal to me. I'm on the fence about this because it does only have medium coverage, but for most days that should be enough.

$3 - E.L.F. Complexion Perfection Powder - Although the packaging is a fail on this one (the mirror fell out the second time I used it), this is a neat powder. I actually think it's more translucent and mattifying than "complexion perfecting" but it works so well with the tinted moisturizer that I think the two are a great combo.

$3 - E.L.F. Powder Brush - this isn't the softest brush by any means, but it does the job. For only $3, this brush is good. I don't think I will have to worry about the handle falling off or the bristles falling out excessively. I've had better brushes (EcoTools) but I haven't had any that are a comparable price and quality.

$3.74 - CoverGirl Cheekers Blush (Deep Plum) - these blushes have a strong scent, but some are nicely pigmented. Deep Plum is one example. Natural Rose, however, barely showed up on my skin. I think these are great for beginners because they're so inexpensive and they have a wide variety of shades.

$1 - E.L.F. Brightening Eye Color (Brownstone) - I didn't love this eye shadow quad. I think it was decent for a dollar and it gives a nice every day eye look, but it just isn't special. It's definitely possible to find great inexpensive eye shadows, but this quad is not one of them.

$1 - E.L.F. Professional Eye Shadow Brush - I think this brush applies eye shadow very nicely. I'm wary of the durability... I think this brush could last me a year, but I feel like the handle isn't very sturdy. Either way, I'd still buy it again because it was $1 and it works as it should.

$1 - E.L.F. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen - So I must say... I hate this. I think that my Covergirl eyeliner pen does a great job of making sure that the product is applied evenly and that any sort of error in application is (usually) user error. With this pen, the felt tip applies the product unevenly, so if I want an even line I have to apply a thick line (not something I am personally a fan of). The pen is also fairly dry, so I feel like it would dry out completely after a week. I'm glad I only paid $1 for this because I'm throwing it away. I hate feeling like I wasted a product, but this was just bad.

$1 - E.L.F. Mechanical Eyelash Curler - This was the first eyelash curler I ever bought. Over the years I've bought and tried others. This performs just as well as my Sally Hansen and Revlon eyelash curlers, but it's only $1. I've never tried the Shu Uemura eyelash curler because at this point in my life I can't justify spending $20 on an eyelash curler, so I can't compare this to that one, but I can say that out of all the other eyelash curlers I've tried that are available at drugstores, this is just as good.

$3 - E.L.F. 3-in-1 Mascara - now to something else I was really pleased with. This mascara promises to lengthen, define, and volumize your lashes. This thing has an interesting brush that reminds me of a combination of Maybelline One-on-One and L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion, so it's possible to get every lash. This mascara isn't clumpy and the formula is a little wetter than I'm used to, but it isn't nearly as wet as Maybelline Great Lash, so this one is actually wearable. It's also not clumpy. I wouldn't say it does anything dramatic to my lashes, but it makes them look nice and it doesn't weigh them down. I will buy this again, especially if Target ever sells it (I didn't see it the last time I went).

So, before taxes my total comes to: $18.74! I meant to include a lip product, but the one I purchased from E.L.F. was a mess to say the least (the Shimmering Facial Whip for $1 - I was going to use it on my face and lips and the product separated and was all gross, so I couldn't use it). I have more ideas for this tag so hopefully I will be posting a second part soon!

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